Classic groove · Alex Van Halen · Van Halen, 1984
Hot for Teacher (the intro)
128 BPM · one bar · sixteenth-note triplets, six steps to the beat
24 steps · a brighter cell is an accent · the darker columns mark the beats (6 steps each). Rows used: Hi-hat, Kick.
What the drums do
The double-kick shuffle: sixteenth-note triplets on two bass drums, playing the first and third of every three, with the hi-hat marking the quarters. Written on the triplet grid, so what you hear is the real subdivision. Slow it right down before you try it with your feet.
Alex Van Halen
- Read the Alex Van Halen feature →Who they are, how they play, and what to listen to next.
- Alex Van Halen's drum rig in the Rig Vault →The kit, snare, cymbals and hardware this was played on, era by era.
- Hot for Teacher at 128 BPM →The song page: the tempo, the metronome at that tempo, and the drum part.
How to use it
- Open it in the lab and press play. Listen for the beats the note points at before you look at the grid.
- Tap ½ speed and play along on a pad or the kit until the placement is yours, then let it back up to 128.
- Change one thing. Move a kick, drop a ghost note, add an open hat. The groove is a starting point, and the lab saves what you make of it.